Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Evangelicals & Muslim Wingnuts Attack Harry Potter As Part of the "Secular Humanist" or the "Jewish/Zionist " Conspiracy Theory

UPDATE: 1:50 PM & 2: 57 PM Feb. 9, 2009

Jesus Camp Deleted Scene - Demonic Manifestations

"The evil that is taking place is happening because the Western world has lost its moral compass. ... Some people have had their demons for so long, they think it’s normal. They think it’s normal to live a dysfunctional confused life. We tell people it’s not." Bob Larson (2006 Good morning America)

Fundamentalists and other Evangelical Christians exhibit a wide range of beliefs concerning demon possession and exorcism. But most share certain basic beliefs:Like Roman Catholics, most believe that the passages about demons in the New Testament are accurate descriptions of the power and activity of evil spirits. This belief is derived from the concept that God inspired the authors of the Bible to write text that is free of error.

Satan and his hordes of demonic followers are believed to be living entities who roam around the world looking for people to torment and destroy.

Many view Satanic forces as playing a major role in individuals' lives today. Books in Christian bookstores and programs on Christian radio and TV frequently refer to demonic influences, and warn believers to be continuously on guard.

FromDemonic Possession, Oppression & Exorcism from Religious Tolerance.org see End note
These views about books and films as being part of a conspiracy to undermine people's faith is not exclusive to Evangelical Christians or Catholics but such views are shared by a growing number of Muslim extremist . These Muslim extremists are able to spin their own elaborate irrational pernicious conspiracy theories about the West and Christianity and Judaism . Their "Conspiracy Theories" can be compared to those of Westerners who have created their own elaborate Conspiracy theories about Islam and "Secualr Humanist' or the Illuminati/Masons/ the Knights Templar and that of "The New World Order' which is touted and promulgated by those on the right and the left. For instance we have the Conspiracy theories as preached about hysterically by Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter,Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin Pastor John Hagee ,or Alex Jones or by White Supremacists/ Christian Identity organizations or an African American such as Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The issue here is that more and more of this conspiratorial thinking is bleeding into the mainstream whether its a theory about "The New World Order" or "Secular Humanists" or Islamophobes claiming there is an "Islamic World Wide Conspiracy " . In the world of conspiracy theories everything gets sifted through Conspiratorial lens as it were-nothing is as it seems because some nefarious hidden human force is at work. These theories are made to look more plausible by tossing in one's own religious beliefs so that these nefarious forces are not merely the result human actions but are due to the actions of supernatural evil, demonic forces which are the literal enemies of God or Allah or Jahweh etc.

The beauty of these theories is that they provide to a great extent an explanation for everything that happens and any thing which appears to contradict the Conspiracy Theory is explained by adding another twist in the Conspiracy Theory. So there are no accidents or chance events all have some ultimate meaning.
These theories are most appealing to those who are psychologically unable to accept uncertainty or that their worldview or religious beliefs may be inaccurate or questionable in its explanations of how the world works. If one is a true believer in whatever religion one attaches oneself to if bad things happen even though you are a true believer it must be because there are evil demonic forces let loose upon the world.

Below is a clip of a Muslim teacher who is concerned over children reading stories which contain magic spells or wizardry because magic and sorcery are temptations offered to the believer through the power of Satan and the dark principalities.

So it is not only Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholicism that are obsessed over any suggestion of magic, wizardry, sorcery, witchcraft which are all seen equivalent to devil worship or as a means by which Satan or evil is given an opening to invade or influence an individual believer. They believe this malevolent influence turns the believer away from God /Allah/Jesus etc. By reading about or practicing magic or wizardry the believer is led astray and is being influenced and eventually controlled by these evil forces. So these religious leaders, teachers or preachers are wary of any suggestion of magic or sorcery. So they see evil being promoted by the Harry Potter books to even Jack and the Beanstalk or TV series such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer or "Supernatural", "Medium" or vampire series such as Twilight etc.

Islam-Magic & Harry Potter & Jack and the Beanstalk

The religious leaders or teachers whether Christian or Islamic believe that by putting faith in witchcraft or supernatural leads to a life dedicated to hedonism that is personal pleasure and getting whatever one desires through the use of magic rather than through prayer or the acceptance of God's /Allah's Will. The practitioner of magic attempts to rearrange matters in the real world to suit one's own personal wishes . By doing so the practitioner is claiming to be able to control their own destiny without God's help and is therefore blaspheming by interfering in God's will and by claiming to have powers only God or angels or some prophets are granted.

Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged

Evangelical Christians deplore Harry Potter ,Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Matilda , Mr. Magoriums Magic Emporium and any TV series giving some sort of positive spin to the supernatural and Satanic forces or principalities.etc.- These puritanical holier than thou Evangelical Christians claim that making heroes out of Warlocks such as Harry Potter is part of the Secular Humanists and the anti-Christians conspiracy to undermine Christian faith while giving support to the Anti-Christ.

Featured in the clip below is Pastor John Hagee, Jesus Camp 's crazy lady & Monty Python's twisted bit of logic presenting a definition of who is or is not a witch: teacher performs simple magic trick in classroom & accused of Wizardry.

BAN Harry Potter! Teacher accused of Wizardry

Catholic School Bans Harry Potter Books

Jesus Camp vs Islamic Conspiracy Theorists Can You Tell The Difference between one fanatic and another.

First clip is from the documentary "Jesus Camp" followed by a clip from Iranian TV and the Muslim or Arab view of Harry Potter and witchcraft.

The next clip is evidence that Muslims are as irrational as Evangelical Christians. So some Muslims or Iranians or others in the Middle East also believe the Harry Potter books and its author J.K. Rowlings are part of a plan by "secular humanists" and especially Jews or Zionists to indoctrinate children everywhere to accept notions about witchcraft as it is taught in the the Jewish teachings known as the Kabbala . These critics ignore the fact that the Kabbala as such is only studied by a very small proportion of Jews. It is unfortunate to say the least that Muslims and others in the Middle East have bought into the irrational and dangerous anti-Semitic conspiracy theories which originated not with Islam but with Christianity . The notorious, pernicious forgery detailing the Jewish Conspiracy "The Protocols of the learned Elders of Zion" was written and published by the Russian secret police in 1905 but it was based on various earlier Jewish Conspiracy theories which date back to the Early Christian Fathers and to the New Testament . This more rabid form of Anti-Semitism was common among the Western Christians but had little hold on Islam or Muslims til the 19th century. But we see here the addition of Hollywood and films about magic and such as also viewed as part of the irrational, nonsensical Grand Jewish Conspiracy.

The way this conspiracy theory is spun is clever and a real stretch of the imagination as they weave Harry Potter books and films into the Hollywood Jewish/Zionist Conspiracy theory. While Christian Evangelicals see harry Potter and other tales of the Supernatural as pernicious in leading children away from true Christianity to an acceptance of Wicca or witchcraft and devil worship and as a way by which "Secular Humanists" can undermine Christian faith while the Islamic Conspiracy theorists through some twisted perverse logic sees the hand of the Jews or Zionists and their plan to control all of the nations. The Christian anti-Muslims believe it is Islam's ultimate goal to rule over all the nations and to slaughter all non believers which is what some Muslims claim about Zionists or Christians.Once again it is not enough to preach one's religious belief in the market place of ideas but one must demonize all other faiths as being the enemies of one's own faith.

J.K. Rowling the highly successful author of the Harry Potter series was denied receiving the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom because the Bush administration believed that she promoted sorcery according to speech writer Matt Latimer who worked at the White House during those terms. In his new book entitled "Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor" Latimer elucidates how extremely narrow thinking robbed Rowling from receiving the honour. Additionally Latimer writes that Senator Edward Kennedy (died August 2009) was similarily denied receiving the honour because he was deemed too Liberal.

And of course there's always Sarah Palin

Is sarah palin still a witch full of demons ?

This insanity would be funny if these people were not so deadly serious in their attacks on Harry Potter and their belief that the truly faithful would not just condemn them but that the death penalty should apply to those whom they believe are practicing witchcraft or sorcery-
Some Muslims and Arabs are as twisted in their thinking as their counterparts Christian Evangelical Fundamentalist extremist who see the work of Satan all around them.

Knowing about poor twisted Ted Haggard -Gay but in denial - watching this clip is a bit creepy. Now given this belief in these demons Ted haggard can just say the devil made me do it or one of his minions. Same with pastor Todd Bently and all the Evangelicals and Catholics can abuse members of their perish or flock but they got Demon card as a free pass or they can just say that being Born Again prevents one from actually being contaminated by a Demon presence. So these ministers, pastor and priests are they just projecting as Jung would say. Seeing the demon inside themselves their totally free self if it were unleashed so sometimes they slip.

and even creepier as Ted Haggard gets up close and personal with the camera operator while talking about "Aaron's Rod that Budded "-come to life are these his basic pick up lines.

According to an estimate on the Good Morning America program for 2006-MAY-16, there are approximately 500 deliverance ministries in the U.S. specializing in exorcising people. The program indicated that exorcism is becoming a big business. Bob Larson is perhaps the most famous Protestant exorcist in the country. He said:

"The evil that is taking place is happening because the Western world has lost its moral compass. ... Some people have had their demons for so long, they think it’s normal. They think it’s normal to live a dysfunctional confused life. We tell people it’s not."

On the same program, Gretchen Passantino, a Christian writer who has investigated deliverance ministries, said about Larson:

"What he is doing is exploiting and manipulating people, [and] appealing to their fears their needs and sense of inadequacy." 11

Fundamentalists and other Evangelical Christians exhibit a wide range of beliefs concerning demon possession and exorcism. But most share certain basic beliefs:
bullet Like Roman Catholics, most believe that the passages about demons in the New Testament are accurate descriptions of the power and activity of evil spirits. This belief is derived from the concept that God inspired the authors of the Bible to write text that is free of error.
bullet Satan and his hordes of demonic followers are believed to be living entities who roam around the world looking for people to torment and destroy.
bullet Many view Satanic forces as playing a major role in individuals' lives today. Books in Christian bookstores and programs on Christian radio and TV frequently refer to demonic influences, and warn believers to be continuously on guard.

Some Evangelical beliefs:
bullet J.F. Cogan has written a "Demon Possession Handbook for Human Service Workser [sic]" It is a very detailed presentation of demon possession and exorcism. The handbook is intended to acquaint case workers, church workers, correction officers and 22 other professions with what the author feels is the reality of demon possession. 1 He comments: "...Satan and his demons have real power. Within the limits God has set, Satan and his demons can do real spiritual damage to humans who are not filled by and, therefore, protected by the power of the Holy Spirit." Later, he writes: "...the objective of Satan and his demons is damnation of the souls of all humans in Hell forever...Satan's main offense consists of getting as many people as possible to reject the salvation of Jesus Christ and be damned to the punishment of hell forever." He cites a number of behaviors and activities that are commonly caused by demon possession today:
bullet "...all serial killers and serial arsonists are demon possessed."
bullet Intermittent demon possession is a cause of spousal abuse.
bullet "Suicide is frequently associated with demon possession."
bullet "When two people are both demon possessed, they may have a lustful affinity for each other which defies all logic...Often, demon-induced lust leads to murder..."
bullet Irrational shoplifting.
bullet Childhood learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
bullet Various physical illnesses.
bullet Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
bullet Post-hypnotic suggestion.
bullet The possession of houses as well as humans; a haunted house many be a "nesting place" of evil spirits.
bullet Certain games can lead to demonic involvement: Ouija boards, dungeons and dragons and other role playing games, games involving dragons, etc.
bullet Multiple Personality Disorder (a.k.a. Dissociative Identity Disorder)
bullet False memories can be implanted by demons in the mind of a person undergoing recovered memory therapy.
bullet Spontaneous human combustion
bullet Foul and abusive language in a voice that is different from the victim's normal voice

He writes that there are many activities that can actively draw demons to the individual(s) involved:
Illicit sex.
Homosexual sex
Viewing pornography.
Using mind-altering drugs.
Hypnosis.
Listening to rock music, particularly if the musicians are themselves involved with demons.
bullet He lists certain professions, roles and tasks that frequently cause demon possessed:
bullet Leaders of religious cults.
bullet All Satan worshipers will eventually be demon possessed.
bullet Astrologists.
bullet Psychics, including psychic hotlines, and psychics that aid in police investigations.

He states that if an individual opens their mind "to powers which are not clearly Holy", then their mind may be filled with a demon. This may be a reference to meditation which is common in Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.

The gospels describe that during Jesus' ministry, demons were said to possess people and generate physical and mental illnesses. But after Jesus' execution, Paul wrote of a much larger scope of activity on the part of demonic spirits. In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, he warned that servants of Satan (possibly demon possessed individuals) pretended to be apostles of Christ, even while spreading errors and discord. 1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4 are other passages suggesting that the doctrines of demons will be widespread. Cogan gives as one example some Evangelical seminary professors who support equal ordination opportunities for gays, lesbians and heterosexuals.

The author has developed an interesting concept of "demonic time-sharing." He reasons that the number of demons has been fixed for the past few thousand years. Thus, each demon has many more individuals to possess today than they did in olden times. Being created beings, demons are capable of being in only one place at one time. Thus they must "time share" the humans assigned to them. That is, they concentrate on tormenting one person, then travel at a high speed to another person and torment them. He reasons that they might be able to travel between victims at "the speed of electricity, 186,000 miles a second." [This is unlikely, if demon's have a non-zero weight, because the mass of a body increases towards infinity as the speed of light is approached]. He supports this theory by observing that murderers, child molesters or spouse abusers can engage in criminal acts one moment, and be totally calm and rational a few seconds before and after. The conservative Christian author, Rebecca Brown, may be in agreement with time-sharing. She describes how Satanists carefully schedule their rituals of human torture and sacrifice so that Satan can appear, be present during the ritual, and then disappear for another scheduled appointment.

He recommends a multi-step process to bring about a deliverance from demonic possession. The person:
bullet must first be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.
bullet must pray to God "for the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ to cover" them.
bullet find a counselor to help them
bullet pray for deliverance
bullet should anticipate resistance by the demon(s); they might not want to leave easily
bullet expect that the demon(s) might try to repossess them
bullet is to pray regularly
bullet is to read the Bible
bullet should attend church regularly
bullet The Interactive Bible 2 cites Romans 8:35-39 to prove that demons cannot possess a person who has been saved.
bullet Viewpoint, a Mission Outreach in Joplin MO assembled comments from a number of Evangelical Christians about demon-possession. Some of the beliefs expressed were: 3
bullet when an individual is demonically possessed repeatedly, it is always the same demon each time.
bullet there is no practical way of keeping an unsaved person free of demons; the demon can return at any time.
bullet when the Holy Spirit enters a person, a demon cannot simultaneously possess them. That is because the individual is already possessed by the Holy Spirit.
bullet you can easily find out whether a particular spirit has come from God or Satan: simply ask him to say "Jesus is Lord." If he is unable or unwilling to say the phrase, then he is a demon.
bullet Satan tricks people into creating a ministry to exorcise demon-possessed people. This keeps them from preaching the Gospel.
bullet Casting out demons from an unsaved possessed person is dangerous because it may lead to them being possessed worse than before. The person must be saved and receive the Holy Spirit to prevent a repossession.
bullet Evangelicals should concentrate on preaching the gospel, not in seeking out people to exorcise.
bullet One contributor suggests that valid modern-day healings and exorcisms are rare, and that Satan does not possess people now, as he did in the 1st century CE. After Jesus was resurrected, "much of Satan's power was taken away."
bullet Bob Vaugn has a website "Uncommon Answers" which discusses demon oppression and other topics. 4 He states that:
bullet Christian believers have the power and authority to cast devils out of possessed people.
bullet Not all illness are caused by demonic spirits; some are caused by viruses and other natural causes.
bullet A person who is possessed is unable to resist the instructions of his demon.
bullet Various New Testament passages state or imply that a saved individual cannot be possessed by a demon.
bullet Rex W. Rosenberg, a conservative Christian clinical psychologist who has specialized in Multiple Personality Disorder /Dissociative Identity Disorder (MPD/DID) believes that demonic infiltration can lead to what he calls "demonically-mediated dissociation" (DMD). He asserts that therapists will detect in their clients both the presence of real alternative personalities (a.k.a. alters, some of whom will have demonic attachments) and of demons (some of whom will be disguised as alters.) Much harm can be done to the patient if the exact nature of the entities is not precisely determined and matching treatment applied. 5 He has created an experimental "Occult Activities and Manifestations Survey" 6 that an individual can use to detect their degree of involvement with the occult. He lists 96 experiences or manifestations of occult activity e.g. seeing monsters, seeing fairies, being unable to read or understand the Bible, having demonic sexual intercourse with a woman. He lists 79 occultic activities and organizations e.g. tarot cards, Ouija board, I Ching, palm or tea-leaf reading, biorhythm charts, casting runes, numerology. Included are a number of religions and spiritual paths: Christian Science, Eckankar, Hare Krishna, Santeria, Scientology, Unification Church, Witchcraft/Wicca.